You know times are hard when the crime du jour is to smash through glass and grab as much shit as you can. It's really just one step away from total anarchy and riots (but good thing we have glass to separate the good stuff from the bad guys).

So today, after a rash of bad news about smash-and-grab jewelry store robberies in downtown and Koreatown and a $2-million car-to-car diamond heist, the LAPD is telling jewelers to beware.

It's rough out there:

The department today issued a “business alert” (all caps, in red) and recommends that jewelry store owners take the following steps to avoid getting cleaned out by some of L.A.'s many unemployed street entrepreneurs:

Credit: LAPD

Credit: LAPD

-Install a panic-button/”robbery alarm.”

-Get yourself a digital, color surveillance video system.

-Keep your business well-lit.

-“Stay alert” and “be vigilant.”

-“Keep back doors locked.”

-Report suspicious people to the cops.

-Do not resist these guys. You could get hit in the head with a hammer. Seriously.

-Don't chase robbers, but rather call the coppers.

Basic stuff, we know.

[@dennisjromero/djromero@laweekly.com]

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